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Fuel tank breather / hissing cap


sean.clarke

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Hi,

one thing I keep forgetting to ask is if you guys notice that when you loosen/remove the fuel filler cap you get a huge rush of air. It is like there isn't a fuel tank breather, so when I fill up there is a small amount of air, I then use 3/4 of the tank and when I go to fuel up it is almost like there is a vacuum.

 

I am surprised I have not spluttered to a halt, certainly on boats this can be an issue that would cause a breakdown (although the fuel tanks are much bigger so you would get a full on vacuum).

 

Does anyone else experience this?

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Are you sure that what you are getting is a vacuum (less than atmospheric pressure) and not a slight pressure rise? i.e. is the air rushing out rather than in?

 

Most cars that I have owned over the last 30 years have shown this effect, namely a slight rise in fuel tank pressure which manifests itself in an outgoing whoosh when opening the filler.

 

This effect is quite normal and seems to be linked to the two-pipe fuel systems used today on fuel injection engines. This is where one pipe takes the fuel to the engine and the other returns unused fuel to the tank. The retuned fuel is warmer than the tank contents and this seems to cause a small pressure rise, hence the outgoing whoosh. If the vehicle where to be left overnight and then you opened the filler cap, probably there would not be any pressure.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Air escapes from the tanks on all our vehicles both petrol and diesel when the tank cap is loosened thus confirming the higher air pressure within the tank than outside.

 

Assuming it would be easy enough to engineer out, I have often wondered if it is designed to help maintain the flow of fuel to the fuel pump and injectors?

 

Or something completely different - however there must be a reason - or maybe not and it is a 'characteristic'?

 

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